Peace
by Stellar Eclipse
Summary: He was by no means vulnerable, but his almost childlike position was a strong reminder of his true age... the age the stoic mercenary never acted and probably hadn't acted for many years. Cloud/Squall for the kink meme.


_Originally written for the kink meme. Prompt: "When I'm a bit down like today, I need fluff. (Or chocolate ice cream, but it's too cold to walk to the store) Keeping warm? Maybe Cloud listening to Squall's heartbeat?"_

_Happy Valentine's Day!_

_Disclaimer: dood, _fan_fiction. Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, and the characters and universes therein are the property of Disney and Square Enix. I receive no remuneration for this work; it is a parody and as such utilizes the Fair Use clause of the Copyright Act._

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The Lunar Subterrane was one of the more desolate places they had been exposed to. It was why they came here, to get away from all the others who conveniently seemed to prefer to gather in the more comfortable climes. Lone wolves, the both of them, and no one really missed them as long as they showed themselves once in a while, offering evidence that they were still alive, still on their solitary quests for their crystals.

Hidden away amongst the high rocky cliffs and sheltered from the bleak light of the moon, Squall was seated on the rough ground, his long legs tucked up in front of him with his arms folded on top, gaze fixed impassively at the horizon. He was by no means vulnerable, his weapon resting on his discarded jacket close by his side, but his almost childlike position was a strong reminder of his true age—the age the stoic mercenary never acted and probably _hadn't_ acted for many years. Cloud wasn't the only one who'd had his innocence stripped away through no fault of his own.

The blond stood nearby, eyes on the stars above them, waiting patiently for a sign in his enhanced peripheral vision that his approach would be welcomed. Squall had been the one to come forward once the chemistry and tension between them had reached a level that neither of them could deny any longer, and he still wasn't comfortable with any kind of physical contact being initiated unless it was on his terms. But Cloud was fine with that. He needed that kind of reassurance. He needed to believe that he was actually _wanted_, in whatever capacity.

The sign came a few moments later in the form of a faint shiver, one that the teenager tried to hide, but it showed well enough in the subtle hunch of his back and the way he curled his arms just a bit tighter over his knees. He made no move to claim his jacket to ward off the chill, and Cloud figured the deliberate lack of movement was concession enough.

"You're cold," he observed quietly.

Squall didn't respond at first, but he didn't put up a fight when Cloud came up behind him, going down on his knees and then positioning his legs on either side of the brunet's. When he bent his knees back up, Squall's arms automatically went to rest on them, and some of the ever-present tension eased away from his taller but more slender frame as he leaned back into the warmth Cloud's body offered him.

"You're not," Squall returned after Cloud's arms had wound themselves around his torso, one hand curled against the opposite side of his waist and the other splayed on his chest. His voice was flat, emotionless, but then it usually was, so Cloud didn't take offense. "You never are."

Cloud hummed a vague acknowledgement, unable to keep a small frown from forming on his lips. He really didn't want to dig that far into his past to explain why that was so, about the mako and everything else that he'd endured. But fortunately, and not unexpectedly, Squall didn't press any further; they each had their own secrets to keep, and respecting that distance was actually what helped bring them closer.

"You have a strong heart," Cloud mused after a prolonged but relatively comfortable silence, becoming more and more aware of the steady beat of it through Squall's ribs the longer they sat there, unmoving.

"So I've heard..."

"You don't believe it?"

Squall fell silent again, and after a while Cloud came to realize that he'd dismissed the question completely. With a sigh, he let it go too, resting his forehead against the crook of Squall's neck and focusing instead on the feel of his heartbeat under his palm. If he listened carefully, listened past the cadence of their soft, even breathing and the beat of his own heart in his ears, he imagined he could just about hear Squall's too. It was calming, reassuring somehow. Each fluid, life-giving pulse was courage and perseverance and bold, indomitable pride, and even if Squall didn't hold belief in the light he had inside him, Cloud did. It gave him a small measure of hope for his own salvation.


End file.
